When Derek Sinclair moved to Nelson from North Delta in 1978, there was no youth soccer league in town. He soon remedied that. Soon some 300 kids, mostly boys in those days, were racing up and down the Civic and Lions Park fields. A rep league, with players decked out in red and white, followed soon after.

Rod Sturtevant, who sat on the board in the mid-eighties, remembers that registration soared after Canada qualified for the 1984 World Cup of Soccer held in the U.S. that year. "Soccer became the game to play locally."

Twenty-seven years on, gearing up for its new season starting in April, Nelson Youth Soccer Association is the community’s largest sports organization. About 80 teams with 1200 boys and girls make up the house league, in addition to the eight teams in the rep program. Add in more than a hundred volunteer coaches, 80 team sponsors, a range of other volunteers and a corps of cheering bystanders, and this is one large soccer family.

"When I joined the board of directors, I soon realized this wasn’t just a sports organization I had become involved with, it was a Nelson institution," says Vivien Bowers, who recently stepped down as chair of the board. "Over the years, for hundreds of local families, Saturdays have meant soccer games. People in this community have invested so much time and passion into this organization. And kids have reaped the benefits. It’s quite a legacy!"

The passing years have seen construction of fields down at the lakefront, the Tyler Lake Fieldhouse, and the new lakeside fields. Small things change, but the league remains fun, community-based, and infused with a kinder, gentler, small-town attitude than you’ll find in larger Lower Mainland leagues. Another thing that hasn’t changed is the challenge of finding willing volunteers to carry the ball on the board of the soccer association. NYSA currently has a few vacant board positions it needs to fill.

"It’s nothing like the work load it used to be," says Bowers. "We now have an experienced duo—administrative coordinator Sharon Cooke and operations manager Julien Cormier—who take care of the bulk of the work."

Board members guide the direction of the association and deal with issues that arise. Diversity of opinions around the table makes for better decision-making, and there’s a role to suit almost everyone, from Head Referee to ordering uniforms. While some board members know a lot about soccer, most just care a lot about kids.

Registration for soccer starts in January and ends at the beginning of March. The soccer season runs from April to June and then September to October. The board is always willing to take on more helpers. For more information call the soccer phone line at 352-0730.